Roadmender (nightclub)
Encyclopedia
The Roadmender, Northampton Roadmender or Roadmender Centre is a nightclub and live music venue in Lady's Lane, Northampton
, England
. Set in a former school building, the venue has left an indelible print on generations of the town's teenagers as the only major live venue in the town and the only indie club remaining in regular operation after the closure of Bass Clef in 1999 and the Irish Centre in 1997.
, Metallica
, Oasis
and The Manic Street Preachers until the refurbishment in 1999/2000 reduced the capacity of its main hall from 1000 to 850.
Formerly a county council funded arts centre with a remit for arts, dance, live and recorded music; The Roadmender has had a varied history facing closure and bankruptcy several times during a long and complicated history.
Its most recent closure occurred in late 2005 when it lost several hundred thousand pounds of council funding which forced its then owners Roadmender Ltd into liquidation. After several failed rescue attempts the brand and building were sold to Purplehaus, the owners of a nearby nightclub The Soundhaus, who rebranded it New Roadmender. Notable performances since its reopening have included Idlewild
, The Maccabees
, Marillion
, Kate Nash
, Biffy Clyro
, Finch
, We Are Scientists
, Little Boots
, Deftones
, Happy Mondays
and the NME
tour.
However with a new owner in 2010 taking over from Purplehaus. The Roadmender has returned to strength playing host to live music and clubs nights.
Senegalese musician Youssou N'Dour
played the Roadmender on December 18, 2002.
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Set in a former school building, the venue has left an indelible print on generations of the town's teenagers as the only major live venue in the town and the only indie club remaining in regular operation after the closure of Bass Clef in 1999 and the Irish Centre in 1997.
History
The Roadmender was the preeminent music/arts centre in Northamptonshire from the early 1980`s to the late 1990`s. The largest venue for touring bands between London and Birmingham, The Roadmender was an essential stop for the likes of RadioheadRadiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
and The Manic Street Preachers until the refurbishment in 1999/2000 reduced the capacity of its main hall from 1000 to 850.
Formerly a county council funded arts centre with a remit for arts, dance, live and recorded music; The Roadmender has had a varied history facing closure and bankruptcy several times during a long and complicated history.
Its most recent closure occurred in late 2005 when it lost several hundred thousand pounds of council funding which forced its then owners Roadmender Ltd into liquidation. After several failed rescue attempts the brand and building were sold to Purplehaus, the owners of a nearby nightclub The Soundhaus, who rebranded it New Roadmender. Notable performances since its reopening have included Idlewild
Idlewild (band)
Idlewild are a Scottish rock band, formed in Edinburgh, in 1995, comprising Roddy Woomble , Rod Jones , Colin Newton , Allan Stewart and Gareth Russell...
, The Maccabees
The Maccabees
The Maccabees are a indie rock band from Brighton, England. They have released two albums so far, Colour It In in 2007, with a follow-up, Wall of Arms, released on 4 May 2009...
, Marillion
Marillion
Marillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...
, Kate Nash
Kate Nash
Kate Marie Nash is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. She had a UK no. 2 hit "Foundations" in 2007, followed by the platinum selling UK number 1 album Made of Bricks. She was named Best Female Artist at the 2008 BRIT Awards....
, Biffy Clyro
Biffy Clyro
Biffy Clyro are a Scottish rock band from Kilmarnock, comprising Simon Neil , James Johnston and Ben Johnston...
, Finch
Finch
The true finches are passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. They are predominantly seed-eating songbirds. Most are native to the Northern Hemisphere, but one subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics, one to the Hawaiian Islands, and one subfamily – monotypic at genus level – is found...
, We Are Scientists
We Are Scientists
We Are Scientists is a New York-based indie rock band that formed in Berkeley, California in 2000. Originally formed of Keith Murray on drums, Chris Cain playing bass guitar and Scott Lamb providing vocals and guitar, before Michael Tapper became drummer and Keith became vocalist and guitarist...
, Little Boots
Little Boots
Victoria Christina Hesketh, also known by her stage name/pseudonym Little Boots, is an English electropop singer-songwriter. Her stage name comes from a nickname given to her by a friend, a reference to her unusually small feet...
, Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
, Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays are an English alternative rock band from Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1980, the band's original line-up was Shaun Ryder on lead vocals, his brother Paul Ryder on bass, lead guitarist Mark Day, keyboardist Paul Davis, and drummer Gary Whelan...
and the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
tour.
However with a new owner in 2010 taking over from Purplehaus. The Roadmender has returned to strength playing host to live music and clubs nights.
Senegalese musician Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour is a Senegalese singer, percussionist and occasional actor. In 2004, Rolling Stone described him as, in Senegal and much of Africa, "perhaps the most famous singer alive." He helped develop a style of popular music in Senegal, known in the Serer language as mbalax, a type of music...
played the Roadmender on December 18, 2002.